Commenting on the publication today of ‘Scotland in the United Kingdom: An enduring settlement’ by the UK Government, following the Smith Commission recommendations, Citizens Advice Scotland’s Chief Executive Margaret Lynch said:

Citizens Advice Scotland’s Chief Executive Margaret Lynch has written to the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Work and Pensions calling for a halt to the introduction of the new Personal Independence Payments (PIP) to claimants in Scotland in light of this benefit being one that will be devolved to the Scottish Government.

Speaking just days before the draft legislation based on Smith Commission is due to be published, Margaret Lynch said:

Scotland’s Financial Health Service (SFHS) was launched on 3rd December by the Scottish Government to provide a one-stop portal for people living in Scotland. The SFHS site aims to act as a hub of information and a signposting site directing people to the most appropriate organisation to get help.

Commenting on the announcement from the Treasury this morning that Pension wise is the name being used by all those providing pensions guidance from April 2015 which includes Citizens Advice Scotland, Margaret Lynch, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice Scotland, said:

Commenting on the Scottish Government announcement that a further year of welfare mitigation funding will be made available to Scottish Citizens Advice Bureaux in 2015/16, Citizens Advice Scotland Chief Executive Margaret Lynch said:

Senior figures from civic Scotland will meet in Glasgow Monday 8th December to launch a new group which aims to examine the impact of welfare reforms on Scotland, and bring forward proposals to fix the system.

A new report published by Citizens Advice Scotland exposes the worrying shortcomings in childcare provision in Scotland. In particular, it says that many CAB clients find that provision is either too expensive or simply doesn’t exist in a way that works for them.

Research commissioned by Citizens Advice Scotland and carried out by the respected Fraser of Allander Institute, a leading economic research unit, has concluded that Citizens Advice Bureaux Services in Scotland made an economic contribution to the common good of £168.7m in 2013/14.